Driven by the nation’s battle to look after an ageing population, the health sector will make up one in four new jobs in the next five years.
According to employment projections from the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR), more than 30,000 jobs are predicted to be created in healthcare and social assistance.
Of these, 100,000 jobs will be in nursing and aged and disabled care alone, while about 50,000 jobs will be in support services, ranging from administration and finance to maintenance and catering.
The more contemporary careers of nurse practitioners and personal care consultants are making their mark on the sector, caused by a shift in health care delivery to be more accessible and proactive to address patient needs.
Jobs in health care and social assistance already have grown substantially, by 26.9 percent in the past five years. It is the nation’s largest employing industry with 1,2798,700 workers.
The greatest growth area for nurse practitioners is in emergency departments but they increasingly are needed in aged care and residential care facilities.
Aged Care Queensland chief executive, Nick Ryan says older Australians are demanding more control and independence in the delivery of their health care needs, which will redefine jobs in health. DEEWR’s employment projections report for 2011 estimates 46,700 national jobs in aged and disabled care in the next five years.
Source: CareerOne